While the city of Boston celebrates Patriots Day with the Boston Marathon, the Red Sox and the start of April Vacation for public schools, I am sitting here writing a blog post for all of you. Why, you may ask? Read below to find out.
I often hear Content Marketing greats like Ann Handley, Joe Pulizzi and C.C. Chapman talk about the need to think of Content Marketing differently than most other marketing strategies. Your Content Marketing Strategy is truly a marathon, not a sprint. You cannot think about it as a campaign or an initiative, you must be committed to your content marketing strategy long term.
Joe Pulizzi says: “If you launch a blog, an enewsletter, a webinar series…this is a content promise to your customers. It’s a pact. Breaking that promise is the worst thing you can do. Better not to have started at all.”
So, launching a content marketing strategy without that commitment would be like lacing up your running shoes and running the Boston Marathon without any training–ill advised and potentially hazardous.
Here are some training regimens you should be ready to participate in if you are thinking of undertaking a content marketing marathon:
- A blog that is updated on a consistent basis (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly–it’s all good, just be sure to stick to your schedule
- A consistent presence on the sites your target customers frequent (Twitter? Maybe, Facebook? Possibly, LinkedIn? Could be–be sure to do your research first!)
- A website that is optimized to make the most of your keywords
- A commitment to “Reimagine” your content and get creative with your marketing channels
- A dedicated approach to podcasting, video, eBooks, webinars, case studies or whichever channel works best for your target audience and the dedication to saying “no” to channels that don’t
- Above all, the commitment to treat your content marketing strategy as a marathon, not a sprint
This blog originally appeared on the OpenView Venture Partners Blog: http://bit.ly/h1g5I9
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